Retribution
by Rainy Miki
Summary: "I'll have you fall in love with me, properly, next time." Len grins. He moves over to the door, ready to leave but is stopped by a sudden voice. "In that case, I'll make sure to break your heart— properly, of course." Rewrite of Revenge is Sweet. Rin/Len
1. Chapter 1

**Because I love _RIS's_ plot, but cringe every time I reread my writing, I rewrote the story. Enjoy.**

* * *

_Chapter One: Reason_

* * *

A balmy wind enters the room, carrying the pungent smell of oil paints away. The students around hustled and bustled from the sinks to their stations, hurrying to finish their projects. Most of them did not seem to be bothered by the paint fumes that was giving Rin her headache.

Her long golden locks, that she had specifically grown out, was tied back into a ponytail and her school uniform was protected by a dirty artist's smock. That didn't stop her shoes or socks from being decorated with splatters of red paint though. Rin's expression was not a pleasant one.

"I-I'm sorry!" The offender, Haku, mutters in distress. She drops to the floor and furiously wipes at Rin's footwear with her own smock. She hadn't bothered to look up at Rin, but expected a kick to the face— that never came— when Rin took a step back. She _always_ expected the worse case scenario first.

"Chill, Haku. It's alright. It was just an accident," Rin reassures. She kneels down to Haku's height and begins to pick up what is left of the container of red paint, being careful not to get any paint on her own hands.

"A-Are you sure? You look mad..." Haku stops, staring at her friend.

"I'm not mad... The paint odor is just giving me a headache." Rin rubs her temples with her free hand. "I'm surprised _you're_ fine," Rin mutters.

"Well... The room is pretty well ventilated... Maybe you're just especially sensitive to it?"

"Aren't _I_ special?" she says in sarcasm. Rin places the paint container on the counter and grabs a sponge from the sink, giving it a good soak before cleaning the floor where the paint was spilled.

"R-Really, I should be doing that." Haku grabs the sponge from Rin and scrubs at the floor.

"Haku? Rin? What happened?" A young woman with pink cotton candy colored hair walks over to the scene, examining it. Her gaze wander over to the container of paint sitting out of place, at the counter; her expression sours.

"Ms. Megurine!" Haku almost shouts in surprise. "I'm so sorry! I tripped and... I'll pay for the cost."

"No, no. It's quite alright. Just be more careful next time, alright?" Luka sighs and looks over to Rin. "Rin, can you go fetch us another jar of crimson red from the supply closet?"

"Yes," Rin responds as soon as Luka finishes her sentence. At this point, she was willing to do almost anything to get away from the paint fumes. She undoes her ponytail, pulls the smock off her person, and tosses it to her seat before hurrying out of the room.

* * *

"Lennn, you promised." Rin stops in her tracks. She cringes at the name that was being drawn out and her headache returns. She shakes it off and proceeds down the hall where the voice was coming from. "Come on, it'll just be for today. You're not even busy." A nameless face clung onto the boy's arm. She had long blonde hair that curled outward at its ends, deep, bright blue eyes, and a tall and slender body— his type.

"I'm tired today," Len responds, twirling a strand of the girl's hair with his index finger— a habit that he obtained. "Let's go on Saturday. I'll buy you anything you want, okay?"

"You promise?"

"Of course—" Len's words come to a stop when he catches sight of Rin. A bead of sweat rolls down the back of his neck as she stops just in front of their sight.

_'Crap.'_

"Heh, smooth move, player," Rin says with an awkward smile of disgust and sarcasm. She pushes her hair back and continues en route, not bothering to give the boy a second glance.

Len was left with a horrified expression.

* * *

"Finally..." Rin pulls out the container of paint from the box. She had visited three supply closets and had been redirected to another location twice. Her legs were sore from climbing the flights of staircases to the sixth floor. She made a mental note to start working out more during her physical education classes.

She exits the supply room and begins to return to her classroom, starting down the spiraling staircases.

"Get back here!" a rough voice echoes from below, followed with the furious thumping of footsteps.

Rin peeks down from above to see a familiar face chased by two— no, three delinquent students. "Piko?" her voice trails off in confusion. She hadn't been in contact or even seen the boy in months. Exactly, how much has changed that he'd be mixed in with thugs now?

They were approaching close to the floor she was currently on. Piko initially had a wide gap advantage over his pursuers, but that gap was gradually growing smaller.

"He's not going to make it..." she mutters to herself, recalling his lack of stamina during track-and-field. She glances over to the container of paint she still held in hand and begins to undo the lid.

"Shit!" Piko curses when he realizes that they were still following him. He does not notice Rin when he finally reaches the sixth floor. He probably would have passed by her too if she had not seized his wrist and stopped him. "Aah!" Piko calls out, unaware that it was Rin's hand and not the thugs. "What the hell, Rin?" he shouts when he realizes it was her.

The thugs had reached the sixth floor and Piko could only anticipate the worse that was to come. That's why he was surprised when they yelled out in confusion. He looks over to Rin who held out an empty container. The paint it held was now sprawled over the thugs' faces, blinding them.

He gaped at her boldness and gave another yelp when she tugged him out of the staircase and into the hallways, running into the supply closet she just came from.

* * *

"You're insane," Piko finally manages to say in between his panting and gasping. He slid down, back against the door and hugged his knees burying his face in his lap. "What... What the hell, Rin?"

"'What the hell?'" Rin imitates; it was the first time that Piko noticed she had actually been irritated. "I should be the one saying that." She glares at him while making sure to keep the volume of her voice down. The thugs could still be looking for them. "Where the _hell_ have you been?" she demands, eyebrows knit in fury.

"Some things happened and I had to leave town for a while." Piko doesn't look up, but Rin didn't have to see his face to know how pitiful it must have looked right now.

A feeling of dizziness overtakes her and for a moment she wonders if it was due to the complexity of Piko's situation. She rubs her temples and shakes the feeling away. "How's your mom?" she asks when the silence that filled the room became apparent. Her tone was much softer this time.

"I don't know..."

* * *

"Neeeeruuuu," Len walks up to his friend's desk.

She had already finished putting her things away into her bag and was ready to leave for home. The string of text messages she was receiving, however, was preventing her from doing so. Her thumbs tapped furiously at her phone's keypad.

"What—" Neru looks up from her cellphone. "Len? What happened to you?" Her usual composed expression was replaced with a puzzled one when Len entered her field of vision. He hadn't recovered from his unexpected meeting with Rin— he looked like a mess.

"Oh man. You know... For _the _Len Kagamine, your face looks awfully pathetic right now." Mikuo stands up from his seat with his bag slung over his shoulder. He walks over to the two, with his sister, Miku, following behind. Neru jabs him in the stomach the moment he was within range. "Ooof!" He clutches his stomach painfully.

"Serves you right, Mikuo." Miku giggles. "But, really, what's wrong, Len?" She glances back over to her troubled friend.

"Rin," Len mutters, looking away.

"'Rin'?" Neru repeats her name, interest piqued and obviously concerned. "What happened?"

Rin used to be close friends with the group. She had been especially close with Neru, her best friend. But due to the circumstances at the time, her relationship with them ended just as fast as it had begun. And everyone knew of it— everyone saved for Miku, who only entered Yamaha Academy this year, that is.

"She saw me with another girl."

"And?" Neru cocks her eyebrow, waiting for more.

"That's it."

"Pftt... And I thought something big happened," Mikuo says, disappointed.

"I think she's angry at me," Len mutters, averting his gaze elsewhere.

"No shit. Though, I don't think it matters anyway, considering the fact that she hates your guts." Mikuo's words prevented Len from objecting, silencing him. When the room became silent, Mikuo started to wish that he could take his words back.

Neru lets out a heavy sigh and pulls out a slip of paper from her bag, scribbling on it. "Here." She hands the slip of paper to Len.

"What is this?" He takes the paper, examining it.

"Rin's work hours at Meiko's— unless she had her schedule changed again. Ah, I don't have work today, though. So, if she gets violent with you, don't expect me to be there for back up."

"I love you."

"Seriously, dude? You're going to hit on the one girl I've been trying to get?" Mikuo calls out, earning him another blow to the stomach, yet again, from Neru. Len was already out of the classroom by the time Mikuo fell to his knees, cringing.

"Hey, guys," Miku begins, "who's Rin?"

* * *

"Rin, can you take these over to table six?" one of the chef calls out, but receives no response. "Rin?" she calls out a second time and when she doesn't receive an answer she proceeds to put a tray of desserts in Rin's hands.

"Ah...?" Rin snaps back to reality and stares at the tray of desserts in her hand.

"Table six," the chef says once again. She spins on her heel and proceeds back into the kitchen, before Rin could respond.

_'Damn it, Rin... Pay attention!' _Rin scolds herself mentally and shakes her head left and right, as if shaking herself out of her daze. She lets out an exasperated sigh and puts on the most refreshing smile she could muster before walking to the table with the tray of orders.

Her hair had been tied back into an unflattering ponytail and her bangs were left clipped to the side as usual. It was Meiko's dress policy for all employees. At least, they didn't have to wear a hairnet.

From afar, Rin could see the couple's back pressed against the cushions of their seats. The girl was lovingly clutching onto her partner's arm, head resting on his shoulder.

"Sorry for the wait, here are your or—" Rin stops in the middle of her sentence when the faces of her customers come into sight. She stops herself from reciting the string of curses ready to escape her lips, but the shock and distaste was painfully visible through her crumbling smile.

"Yo, Rin." Len waves at Rin with his free hand and gives her a grin that almost shatters her composure.

She sets the desserts down on the table, avoiding eye contact. Her lips were pressed firmly together into a fine line that curved into an awkward smile. She doesn't say anything. She turns on her heel to retreat back to her station, but not before Len stops her, savoring his victory all the more.

"Oh, Rinny?" Len calls out tauntingly. Rin, appalled, almost trips when she hears him.

_'Well... What? What did he just call me?'_

"Could you bring me back a banana split while you're at it?"

She runs back into the kitchen before giving a response, heels loudly clacking against the floor. Len could only let a small chuckle escape from his lips.

_'Cute.'_

* * *

"Good lord... Why is _he _here?" Rin stumbles over to the counter, holding on its ledge for support. Her hands shook and a bead of sweat rolled down from her forehead— she wipes it away. "Oh... God, is he stalking me?" Rin glances back to see Len being fed a spoonful of sundae by his girlfriend—

_'Wait, is that even his girlfriend?' _Rin stares at the girl sitting with Len, examining her carefully.

It was the same girl she saw him with this morning— she was sure of it. Then again, they all looked the same to her. Long golden blonde hair, bright blue eyes, a slender hourglass figure— again, those were the only qualities he ever looked for in a girl.

_ 'Probably not.' _Rin's gaze wanders away sadly as if she felt sorry for the girl.

She grabs the drinks from the counter— her next order— and places it on her tray. She was purposely ignoring Len's request for a banana split.

"Cute guy, who's that?" Rin jumps at the voice, almost dropping the tray of drinks in her hand. She turns around to see that it came from her employer, Meiko.

"M-Meiko!"

Meiko was an attractive woman with a pretty face and an alluring body. She had short chocolate brown hair that shaped her face well and striking eyes of the same color. Her nails were painted a crimson red— the same color that decorated the blouse. It was made as a matching set with the dark colored pencil skirt that wrapped around the lower part of her body.

One would wonder what a woman, as captivating as her, would be doing as the manager of a cafe. After all, with looks like that, she could very well be a model.

"I do believe he asked for a banana split earlier," she continues, smiling slyly.

_'She was eavesdropping?'_

"Ew, gross, Meiko. You're listening in on the customers now?" Rin jokes, digressing.

Meiko gives her a serious look. "Rin, seriously, you don't usually just ignore the customers like that. Is there something I should know? Do I have to throw that guy out? Is he harassing you?" Meiko asks over protectively.

Rin shuts her eyes and for a moment, the sweet and painful memories begin to flood back. Memories of laughter, memories of romance, and memories of betrayal; one after another, they burst into her mind relentlessly. Her body quakes slightly, but she recovers and makes sure that she shows no signs wavering when she reopens her eyes.

Rin shakes her head and smiles proudly at her employer. She returns to work without saying another word.

* * *

A silence filled the atmosphere as Mikuo and Neru proceeded down the road. Miku had returned home early to prepare for the special sale of leeks down at the market. The question she brought up earlier left an imprint on Neru and Mikuo and still held a grasp over the two.

"Rin's the reason why Len doesn't date friends anymore," Mikuo says, repeating the same answer they had just given his sister a moment ago. His gaze wanders to the sky and he begins to focus on the dusty gray clouds that threatened rainfall. "Neru... We screwed up as their friends... Big time." Mikuo glances down at Neru. His expression was full of pain and guilt.

"I know."

* * *

Night had already fallen and Rin was the only one left in the eating establishment. Meiko had left earlier to pick up her niece from preschool. They were going to celebrate her birthday, apparently.

Rin stops dead in her tracks when she realizes that a heavy rain was casting down from the clouds outside. She mutters a curse under her breath; she forgot to bring her umbrella.

Rin shakes her head and pushes the door open, stepping outside. She immediately regrets it. A gust of wind laced with an icy coldness greets her and even the awning over her head did not prevent the droplets of chilled rain from splattering over her body. She shivered.

"Yo, Rin." Rin didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Even so, she prayed that she was wrong. "Caught in the rain, huh?" An arm falls over her shoulders, pulling her closer. Rin shudders in disgust and pushes him away— Len.

"Don't touch me."

"Jeez... Just when I'm trying to be nice to you." Len stumbles backward.

_'Trying to be nice' my ass—'_

Rin's eyes wander over to the object Len was holding— an umbrella. "No," she says before Len can even open his mouth. She turns, persistent to leave, but is greeted by an even greater gust than before. She immediately takes another step back.

A whistle escapes Len's lips. "I heard that a typhoon might be coming."

_'What timely misfortune.'_

Rin begins to consider her other lesser options. She shudders at the thought of being drenched in the coming storm.

"Deumrela..." a quick slur of speech escapes Rin's lips as she holds her hands out toward Len. She doesn't make an effort to face him. In fact, it seemed more likely that she was making an effort to not face him.

"What?" Len asks, confused at her sudden outburst.

"I said... Deumbrelah."

"De... The... The... _What_?" Len puzzles again, trying to decode and make sense of her speech.

"Damn it, Len. I said the umbrella!" Rin screams, cheeks flushed. It wasn't due to embarrassment, however. Her eyes were clouded and her breaths— shorter each time— were a visible fog.

"Rin?" Len stares at her in disbelief. "Are you..." He doesn't get to finish his sentence. Rin's body was already crashing to the floor by the time he reached out to catch her.

* * *

"Damn it," Len curses under his breath as he swung the door open. He could feel his arms growing weak against Rin's weight. "You just _had_ to live this far from the café, didn't you?" he mutters under his breath.

The umbrella that he had brought with him was rendered useless. It was impossible to carry Rin home and hold the umbrella at the same time. The worst part was that he had to forfeit his jacket over to her to prevent her condition from worsening. His perfectly styled ponytail had come loose at some point and the hair tie was lost. The rain had soaked his clothes to the point that it clung sticky to his skin. Len would've killed for a shower right now.

He stumbles over to the closest source of comfort— a taupe colored sofa— and places Rin down as carefully as possible. A feeling of relief sweeps over him when his arms and shoulders released the weight. He does some quick stretches before walking back over to the door he had left open. He pulls Rin's keys out of the keyhole and tosses them over to the nearby counter before shutting the door.

"Everything is still the same... Huh." His gaze wanders around the house as he returns to the sofa. With each display of familiarity, another clip of an old memory replays in his mind. His face twists in guilt. "I'm sorry, Rin." He stops a short distance away from her, as if afraid to wake her up. His mouth becomes a thin, trembling line, stopping his jumble of words from coming out.

The ticking of a clock in the background had become apparent for the time that Len stood still in silence. He wondered if it was an indication for him to hurry and say his part already. A breath of exasperation escapes his lips and his expression softens up. The pain and pressure in his voice was still visible, however.

"I'll have you fall in love with me, properly, next time." Len grins, but it disappears in a matter of seconds.

_'Even when she's unconscious, I can't say it.'_

"Hahah! Though, who's to say I won't be the one falling for you next time, huh?" he continues on desperately. He wanted to have a decent conversation with her for so long. And, yet, he also didn't want her to hear him as he was right now. When it became clear that the one sided conversation was going nowhere, he turns to leave.

_'That wasn't what I wanted to say...' _He bites down on his lip and curses at his own failure. He is about to open the door when a voice stops him.

"In that case, I'll make sure to break your heart— properly, of course."

* * *

**This is my first upload in a very long time. I hope the fans of _RIS _aren't too mad at me for rewriting the story. D; As many of you know, I'm _known_ for my procrastination when writing. Yeah, well guess what? I regret it all. College started and I rarely have time to work on my fics anymore. Cherish the time you have to write while you still have it, my fellow authors. D;**

**But enough of that, you don't want to hear about my life story, do you? Anyway, there are some major and minor changes in **_**Retribution**_** from **_**RIS**_**— especially with Len's personality. For first time readers, **_**Retribution**_** is a rewrite of one of my older fics, **_**Revenge is Sweet**_**. Give it a read if you're interested— or not... Cause... my writing back then was **_**really**_** premature (not sure if this is the word to describe it) in my opinion. Either way, thanks for reading and I hope to hear from you guys and update soon!**

**Oh yeah! That nameless face— Len's "girlfriend"— was not Lily. Just thought I should include that, in case people thought it was.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Just for the record, I'd like to make it clear that whenever I italicize, the characters are either remembering the past or thinking.**

* * *

Chapter Two: Reunion

* * *

The ring of the bell echoed through the halls of Yamaha Academy; class had finally ended. Neru's shoulders slump down in relief and she presses her back against her chair. She lets her head fall backward as she stretched her upper half, interlocking her fingers and pointing her palms to the ceiling. A yawn escapes from her mouth and her eyes become teary.

"Tired much?" Mikuo chuckles. He pulls a chair over from nearby and seats himself next to Neru. In his hand was a packed lunch box decorated with a childish leek pattern.

"I didn't get much sleep last night... And math was a total bore." She recoils and leans her cheek onto her left palm. "Where's Len and Miku?" Neru asks when she doesn't see the two usual faces.

"Miku has club, remember? As for Len... I don't know. He bolted right after the bell. I couldn't even get a word in with him—"

The door slides open to reveal a familiar face.

"Speak of the devil." Neru glances over to Len as he approached the two. "Where did you go—" Neru trails off when she catches glimpse of the figure behind Len. A surge of shock travels through her body and for a moment, she was at a lost for words. "Rin?" She stares at the girl who stood at the doorway. Her presence was obviously awkward to the atmosphere of the classroom.

Rin, head held high, showed a face that expressed something between the lines of bore and irritation. She clearly did not want to be there with Len.

"Yo," she replies with a smile that did not match her eyes. She walks over to them. "I haven't talked to either one of you in a long time." Her glance shifts observantly from Neru to Mikuo and then back. "Did you two start dating again?"

"Well, actually, I _have_ been trying to work up the courage to—" Mikuo begins, but Neru intercepts the conversation.

"Mikuo." Neru glares at the teal-haired boy sternly. It wasn't the time to make a joke. She glances back at Rin when things had become quiet again. "Rin, are you and Len..." she trails off with concern in her voice.

"No," Rin says, "we're _not_." Her words were bitter. "Though, one mistake in my life isn't going to stop me from socializing with my friends."

Mistake. He was a mistake to her. Len wasn't sure if Rin was purposely saying that in his attendance to hurt him or not. If she was though, it was working. Her words stung with poison and he could only flinch at them.

"I'm going to go get something to eat from the cafeteria... I'll be back," Len mumbles, voice barely audible. He turns back and disappears from the classroom, quickly dodging the suspicious looks he received from Neru and Mikuo.

"I'll be back." Mikuo says, imitating Len's words. He rises from his seat and follows Len out. It was obvious that he planned to question Len.

Len had initially sped-walked out of the room, so there was a huge gap between him an Mikuo. Mikuo wasn't the star member of the track team for nothing though. He presses forward and catches up to his friend with ease. His hand latches onto Len's shoulder, stopping him.

"Going somewhere?" he asks with a sly smile on his lips.

"Mikuo..." Len said, annoyed and defeated. "I don't want to talk about it," he said before Mikuo could even get a question in. Len continues on his way to the cafeteria with Mikuo tailing him.

"That's too bad... Because Neru and I sure want to." He gives Len a cold look that left no room for argument. It was an expression that demanded for an answer, but Len didn't seem to care.

Len swears when he sees the long line in the cafeteria. It stretched from the counter to almost the entrance. He doubles-back and stops by a vending machine to buy a snack.

"Len, what the hell is going on?"

Len's mind stirs as he recalls the events that happened yesterday.

_"__In that case, I'll make sure to break your heart__—__ properly, of course." Rin's voice rang in his ears. Len didn't dare to take a single step._

_ 'Shit. Shit. Shit!' The profanity repeats itself in his mind. He wished that he could become invisible at the moment, but that was obviously impossible._

_ "Rin..." Len finally said. He turns around to see her lying on the couch in the same position he left her in, staring at the ceiling with empty eyes. "I—" he stops himself. He couldn't finish his sentence._

_ He wanted to pour his heart out into an apology, but that would make no difference. An apology wasn't going to do anything for Rin. An apology wasn't going to take back all the grievances and pain he put Rin through. An apology wasn't going to mend their relationship. And an apology was not something Rin would receive— not from Len anyway._

_ "What can I do to make it up to you?" his voice cracks._

_ "What can you DO__to make it up to me?" Rin was hysterical now. She fixes her gaze on Len and in an instant, she props herself up, lying on her side, to face Len. He could tell that was struggling just to keep her consciousness from slipping away. "I LOVED you, Len Kagamine! And what did you do? You used me as a replacement!" Rin was searing with anger and Len could feel the amount of hatred that dripped from each of her words. "Do you know how much I hated myself after I found out?" she cries out in a shrill voice. "I wanted to die!"_

_ Her words stabbed at him as if they were sharp blades. She wanted to die. That was how much she loved him. That was how much their relationship had meant to her. Except, he was only looking for a replacement._

_ "Rin..."_

_ "Get out..." Her voice became a low, but harsh whisper. "There is nothing you can ever do to make it up to me."_

_ Len swallows and cringes at the mess that Rin had been reduced to. A mess that he was partially at fault for creating. "How about it then?" he says, surprising Rin._

_ "What?"_

_ "This time," he says, looking at Rin with a trembling smile, "you can dump me."_

The sound out metal jingling against each other wakes Len from his vision. He glances over to the vending machine's coin slot where his change fell. He collects his food items and money and turns to look at Mikuo.

"I'm trying to make amends of things," he said with a painful smile before he sped back to the classroom.

Upon entering, he found Neru sitting alone with a book in her hand. He glanced around, but realized that Rin was nowhere to be found.

"Welcome back." Neru closes her book and turns her attention to Len and Mikuo.

"Where did Rin go?" Mikuo asked before Len could.

"She left after getting a text message. She said something about meeting with someone—" Neru is about to continue when Mikuo moves over to the windows, ignoring her.

"Isn't that Rin over there?" Mikuo asks. He pokes at the window's glass, pointing outside.

"What?" Len follows over just in time to see Rin run pass the school gates, heading off the campus. He strains his eyes, but she was already out of his field of vision.

* * *

Navy colored hair and eyes, his trademark long blue scarf carried by the breeze, and two small cups of ice-cream in his hand. Kaito Shion stood, waiting against the wall of Yamaha Academy. Unlike the students who passed him by, he was dressed in his casual attire, attracting attention from passersby.

"Kaito!" A voice calls out.

Kaito looks up to see Rin running up to him, out of breath. His lips curve upward into a smile as she greet him with a warm hug. He almost drops the desserts he brought with him, but manages to balance them in his hand.

"I missed you," Rin says, not letting go. Her face burying into his chest.

Kaito chuckles. He gently pats her head with his free hand. "I'm back."

Rin releases Kaito from her grip. That's when she notices the cups of dessert in his hand— one of them being orange flavored. A shimmer sparks in her eyes. Kaito quickly takes notice. A gentle smile appears on his face.

"For you." He presents the cup of orange flavored ice-cream to Rin.

She accepts it gratefully and they begin to travel back into Yamaha Academy's school grounds with the dessert in hand.

"So," Kaito begins, "how have you been?" He glances over to his blonde haired friend with curiosity. "Keeping up with your studies? I heard from Gakupo that you got into class 3-A this year."

"Yes!" she replies eagerly. "Right now, I place fourth in my class..." she mumbles, "but that will all change soon!"

"You're a hard worker as always." He chuckles. "Rin," he says and stops walking. He turns to face her with a serious expression. "How would you like to be my junior again?"

Her footsteps come to a halt and her heart skips a beat. She stares at him with a blank expression on her face.

_'Kaito's junior?'_

"You're..."

"Kaiko recently purchased a house near this district and my parents approved of my staying with her."

"What?" That was all she could say. Rin was at a loss for words.

She was so devastated when Kaito had told her that he would be moving at the end of her first year at Yamaha Academy that she broke out in tears. Kaito was the first person to have actually stopped and voluntarily listen to her problems. He was an irreplaceable friend that she made. She loved him dearly. She hated the thought of him leaving her alone.

"A-Are"—her voice cracks—"you kidding?"

"Not at all." Kaito grins. "I've already had my belongings taken to her house. All that's left now is for the school's confirmation of my documents— which I am actually going to be handing in right now."

"Oh my gosh..." She tries to blink away the tears that were forming in her eyes. A smile creeps over her lips unknowingly.

"Come on, I'm going to feel bad if you start crying!" Kaito jokes.

"I'm just really glad." Rin wipes her tears away.

"I can tell." Kaito snickers.

"Should I go with you? To the main office I mean." Rin offers eagerly.

But Kaito shakes his head. "You have class soon right? The workers at the main office aren't exactly the fastest or the most motivated." He points out with a grin. "Don't worry about me."

"Oh, okay..." Rin responds, disappointed.

"Listen," he begins and reaches into his pocket to pull out a pen and a small notepad. He proceeds to flip to a clean sheet of paper and scribble something down onto it. "I've got to go finish unpacking back at Kaiko's— back at home I mean," he says and tears the paper out of his notepad to hand to Rin. "So, I'm going to have to need to hurry up with the paperwork."

Rin stared at the information written down on the lined paper she had just received. "This is... Your address?" she asks.

"Kaiko's dying to see you again," he says. "So, don't let her down. Got it?"

"Yeah."

"I'll see you later then?"

"Of course."

"Bye, Rin." Kaito waves before disappearing into the school alone.

Rin stares at the address that Kaito had given her. She couldn't stop smiling. Not until a sneeze wakes her from her daze at least. She shivers when she realizes how cold it was and wraps her arms around herself. She hurries back into the building.

Distance away and hidden from Rin's and Kaito's sight was Len. He gripped onto the material of his shirt until his knuckles turned white. He had bore witness to Rin's tears, smiles, and joy— the emotions that she would probably never show him again.

_'Right now... I'm probably feeling jealousy.'_

* * *

A ticket. Len had dropped a single ticket down onto her lap.

Rin looked up to see that his face was a confident one. It annoyed her. She picked up the ticket and examined it. They were for the new theme park that had just recently opened— UTAU Land. Apparently, the attractions there were to die for.

"Let's go on a date tomorrow," Len says a bit too cheerfully.

"What makes you think that I would want to go on a date with you?" Rin asks, irritated.

"Check the back." Len had a smirk on his face— one that made Rin feel uneasy.

She flips the ticket around to see a familiar face on the piece of paper. A small, almost inaudible, gasp escapes her lips, but Len catches it. His smirk spreads into a wider and cockier smile. Rin cringes in her conflicting emotions.

"You're still a fan of VY2, right?" Len asks as if he didn't already know the answer. "Tomorrow is UTAU Land's grand opening and VY2 is going to be there." Len puts his arm around Rin's shoulders and for a second, Rin doesn't notice. "You'll come, right?"

Rin was speechless. She'd been a longtime fan of the pink haired idol from the moment he debuted and had always wanted to see him live in person. Unfortunately, she'd never been able to get her hands on a ticket to _any_ of his concerts. In the end, she'd always wound up sitting home alone to watch his performance on either the internet or through television.

On the other hand, the person who had presented this opportunity to Rin was Len. She _hated_ Len. She'd have protested already too if her mind had not already been occupied by the thoughts of her wonderful idol.

The ironclad wall that she had built to protect herself from Len had fallen and she had been reduced to resemble that of a child longing for a toy. Len, at the very least, had to slyly look away and chuckle to himself.

_'To think that I would still be able to bribe her so easily. I don't know whether I should say she's gullible or adorable._'

When Rin had finally snapped to her senses she elbows Len in the stomach and moves away from him. Len falls to one knee after producing an "OOF!" sound.

"D-Don't go putting your arms around me so casually!"

"I suppose I deserved that..." Len managed to say as he pulled himself up. "So..." he began as he dusted whatever dirt off of his pants.

"Tomorrow at 10, in front of the main entrance then," Rin says and carefully puts away the ticket, making sure not to fold the paper that her dearest idol was printed on.

Len couldn't believe his ears. Rin had so easily agreed to his proposal just from the mention of VY2. He made a note to thank Iroha for getting him the tickets.

"I never would have thought that you'd be one to eavesdrop on others' conversations," Mikuo says, leaning on the wall opposite to the classroom door. He stares at Neru who had been peeking into the classroom, listening on Rin and Len's conversation.

A smile had formed over her lips. She quietly slides the door closed and spun around on her heel to face Mikuo. "Quiet, you." Without another word, she proceeds down the hallway, heading home.

"I thought you left your workbook in the classroom?" Mikuo jogs over to Neru and matches his pace to hers.

"It's fine."

"Why?"

"Cause you're lending me yours," Neru says cheerfully.

"Oh?" Mikuo wraps his arms over Neru's waist, pulling her into a hug from behind. "Does that mean I get to come over?" he asks in a playful voice.

Neru only sighs. "Should I call your sister?" Neru threatens in an equally playful voice.

Mikuo releases her from his grip. "Boo, you're no fun, Neru."

"I wanted to give them some time alone together," Neru begins. "They're finally getting along again after all this time, so..."

"So, you didn't want to interrupt them, right?" Mikuo says, finishing her thoughts for her.

Neru, stunned, doesn't answer. She hadn't expect Mikuo to understand. "That's right," she finally says.

* * *

"Why are you following me?" Rin glares at Len who'd been walking side by side with her. "Go away. I don't want to have to show up to work with someone like you lurking around me."

"'Lurking'?" Len repeats. "Seriously, Rin? You make me sound like some stalker." He frowns. "Besides, my house just happens to be this way, remember?"

Rin contemplates for the moment to confirm whether or not Len was telling the truth. When she finally remembers that he does in fact take the exact same route home, she mentally curses at her own mistake.

"Take a different route then!" she yells.

"No way!" Len whines. "What if some creep shows up and attacks you?"

"I don't need your protection."

"Then... What if some creep shows up and attack me? I feel much more safer walking home with you," Len jokes.

"I don't feel like providing protection to you either."

"That's cold, Rin. That's real cold of you."

When Rin doesn't respond, Len begins to glance around, examining their surroundings. The first thing that he immediately takes notice of is Rin's hair. Sure, he'd seen her with long hair back when they were dating, but this was the first time that he'd actually really taken notice of how much effort she had put into taking care of her hair.

"Your hair..." he says unconsciously.

Rin glances back at Len with a look. "What about it?"

"Huh?" Len glances back at Rin, realizing that he had made a comment out loud. He scratches the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh, uh, it's really long."

"That's because the person that I liked told me he liked girls with long hair."

Len flinches at Rin's words.

_'Oh. That's right... I told her that.'_

"O-Oh?" Len stutters. "If you're taking such good care of your hair then you must really like this person a lot." Len smiles, playing along.

As if he'd hit a nerve, Rin halts in her steps.

The pain and her tears and her screams— they resurfaced in her memories. She remembered that moment when she held the pair of scissors in her right hand, ready to chop off her long golden locks. She also remembered that moment when she was stopped.

"Oh, crap, Rin," Len says, fearing that Rin was going to yell at him again. "I'm so sorry. I was joking," he says, "I wasn't trying to offend you."

_"It'd be a shame if you just gone and cut your hair like that." Kaito, using his height to his advantage, takes the scissors away from Rin._

_ Rin could only stare in shock at the boy who had appeared before her._

_ "Don't you know? A woman's hair is her life."_

The voice rung in Rin's mind as she repeats the very same sentence to Len.

"What?" Len's facial expression changes into a look of confusion.

"You're right," Rin says with a shy smile over her lips. "I do like this person a lot."

_'What?'_

Len stares at Rin, bewildered. He could feel his heart beating faster. But all hopes were dashed in the end. His heart fell.

"You're no longer that person, Len."

* * *

**H-How was it...? ; U; I haven't updated in so long that I almost forgot the personality I had for Len in mind. Ahahah... orz;; I'm currently on vacation until the 29th, so hopefully I can get some more chapters in before the break ends? ; U;**

**Replies to the Anonymous Reviewers**

**RinKagamine: S-SORRY... I HAVE UPDATED NOW. ; U;**

**3 Rin x Len 3: I-I HAVE FINALLY UPDATED... You're just going to have to keep reading to find out. ;D Honestly, I've thought of having Piko as Len's rival before this rewrite, but I never went through with the idea. It's an interesting thought though, so maybe it might happen. C; Actually, *SPOILER ALERT... SORT OF* if you read RIS, then you'd be able to guess that the person that the girls Len dates resemble is not Rin, but Lily.**

**Thanks to everyone who have been reading and reviewing this story. I really appreciate it. **


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